He said: "While the election of the PCC marks the biggest change in policing for over 40 years, my focus will remain on working together to keep the communities of South Wales safe and further improve our excellent record in reducing crime.

"I have enjoyed a tremendously positive working relationship with Alun over many years during his time as an MP and I look forward to working with him again in his new role as the new police and crime commissioner."

Independent Ian Johnston, a former police chief superintendent, has become Gwent's first police and crime commissioner.

It follows a second count, after the first was too close to call with 800 votes separating Mr Johnston and Labour candidate Hamish Sandison.

Independent candidate Winston Roddick has won the first ever election for police and crime commissioner for North Wales.

Mr Roddick, a former judge, scooped 35,688 of the total vote, with Labour's Tal Michael, who is Alun Michael's son, coming second with 27,128, following a second count.

He said: "What is important now is that we work together to ensure the best possible police service for North Wales.

"As your police commissioner I will act independently of any outside interference and I will not let politics get in the way of delivering the best possible police service."

Christopher Salmon has been elected the first police and crime commissioner for the Dyfed-Powys Police force area.

The Conservative success against Labour's Christine Gwyther, a former AM, was the first result declared.

Christopher Salmon said in a statement: "It is a great privilege to be elected as the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed Powys. I am extremely grateful for the trust people have shown in me.

"To those who still harbour doubts, I am listening. I will work to ensure that the role becomes an influential, respected and - most importantly - effective position."

He added: "We face a number of challenges in the coming years, not least financial challenges, but I am determined we can emerge stronger, leaner and better."

"I'm going to represent the people of my patch, not the party."

The Tory won with a majority of 1,114 after the count in Fishguard was the first to declare in Wales.

Mr Salmon, who has served with the Army and is from a Powys farming family, was congratulated on his win by Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies.

He said: "Christopher ran an excellent campaign and I congratulate him on his new role.

"This is a fantastic achievement for both him and the Welsh Conservative Party as a whole."

Jackie Roberts, chief constable of Dyfed Powys Police, said: "I congratulate Mr Salmon on his new appointment and I look forward to working with him as the new commissioner.

"The force will work closely with the commissioner in order to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and to safeguard and provide reassurance for all our communities."

Mr Salmon will take his oath of office on Tuesday before officially taking up his new role next Thursday.

The turn-out figures released for three of Wales' four force areas revealed that none had topped a 20% turn out figure. The force area with the lowest turn-out in Wales is Gwent. The local authority area with the lowest turn-out figure in Wales so far released is Merthyr.

Pembrokeshire's turnout for the election is 19.6% and Ceredigion 14.8% and Swansea 12.77%. The overall turnout for the Dyfed-Powys Police force area was 17.1%.

In North Wales, turn out was 15.24%.

Turnout for the South Wales Police PCC election was 146,899 out of 969,020 - that equates to 15.16%, with turnout in Cardiff 16.95%, in Swansea 12.78%, in Bridgend 14.22%, in Neath Port Talbot 16.15%, in Merthyr 11.9%, in Rhondda Cynon Taf 13.42%,

Ms Cooper said: "We warned the Government repeatedly that they had the wrong approach and that turnout would be low. Theresa May and David Cameron didn’t listen and it is shocking that they have spent £100m on these elections rather than on 3,000 police constables instead.

"Time and again on the doorstep people told us either they didn’t have enough information, didn’t know the elections were happening, didn’t support them or didn’t want to go out in the dark to vote."

In the most radical shake-up of the service for half a century, the new commissioners, who are expected to earn up to £100,000 a year, will control police budgets, set priorities and have the power to hire and fire Chief Constables.

Elections are being held in 41 police areas outside London. The Electoral Reform Society predicted a turnout of 18.5%, which would be below the previous record low in a national poll in peacetime of 23% in the 1999 European elections.

The society’s chief executive, Katie Ghose, said: "This election has been a comedy of errors from start to finish.

"The Home Office has operated under the assumption that ’if you build it they will come’.

"Democracy just doesn’t work that way.

"There have been avoidable errors at every step, and those responsible should be held to account."

Critics claim the police reforms will lead to the politicisation of the service, with police and crime commissioners (PCCs) championing populist measures at the expense of less headline-worthy initiatives.

Although the commissioners will be there to hold the force to account, opponents fear they will attempt to interfere with day-to-day operational matters.

But supporters insist they will improve accountability among police forces and make them more aware of the priorities of local demands.

Home Secretary Theresa May argues that the commissioners will become the "voice of the people" and will be "visible, accessible and accountable".

Some 54 of the 192 candidates standing are not linked to a political party.

The turnout in Humberside, where Lord Prescott's name on the ballot paper raised the profile of the election, was 19.48%, East Riding of Yorkshire Council confirmed.

Asked if the expected low turnout would be a disaster, police and criminal justice minister Damian Green told ITV's Daybreak: ``It's a new idea and as will all new ideas it will take some time to get going.

"It would be better if more people voted but I think people will get more interested, when you try something new it takes people time to get up to speed on it."

The Conservative MP added: "The measure of this policy is not the turnout, it’s what the police and crime commissioners achieve over the next few years."

Labour MP Chuka Umunna described the PCC elections as absurd.

He told the programme: "The Independent Electoral Commission said that the way they (the elections) have been run has been a comedy of errors.

"It has been a total shambles and the £100 million spent on it could have been spent on 3,000 police officers.

"At least if you are going to have the elections, organise them properly and don’t have them in the middle of winter."

David Cameron today insisted that the newly-elected police and crime commissioners would have a mandate despite the low turnout, adding that they are ``replacing organisations that weren't directly elected at all''.

Next page: Wales' new commissioners:

Wales' new commissioners:

Dyfed-Powys
: Christopher Salmon, Conservative

He grew up the eldest of four children on a family farm near Presteigne, in Mid-Wales.

He studied Modern History and Economics at Oxford, before spending time abroad, in Russia. After a year of teaching and learning Russian, he returned to the UK in 2002 to join the Army and began training in Sandhurst at the beginning of 2003.

He served as an officer in The Rifles in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Iraq before leaving the Army to pursue a career in politics, and has worked in a small business since 2008. He stood for election in Llanelli in 2010.

South Wales
: Alun Michael

The former Secretary of State for Wales says his priorities are to make communities safe and police accountable. He will oppose Government cuts and put victims "at the heart" of the system.

He was first elected to Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth in 1987, he became Deputy Home Secretary in 1997, with special responsibility for Criminal Justice, the Police and Voluntary Sector.

As Police Minister he introduced the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act, described as the best piece of criminal justice legislation for a generation, establishing Crime & Disorder Partnerships, Youth Offending Teams and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.

Gwent
: Ian Johnston, Independent

He attended Pontllanfraith Grammar School, leaving in 1969 to become a Police Cadet.

He served as a Police Officer for 33 years in Gwent, including time as the Head of CID in Gwent between 1995-1999.

He married wife Janet in 1972 and the couple have three children – Hayley, Mark and Peter. Janet worked at Oakdale Comprehensive School for over 20 years as school secretary.

In 2004 was elected to become the first Welsh full-time Vice President of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales and in 2007 was elected as the President.

He stood on the platform of keeping "politics out of policing".

North:
Winston Roddick, Independent

He was born and raised in Caernarfon. He began his career as a police constable, walking the beat in Liverpool, before going on to study law at University College, London.

After becoming a barrister and a QC, he became a Recorder of the Crown Court on the Chester & North Wales circuit. He has recently stood down from being a Recorder after 25 years service.

He served as Wales’s first Counsel General for a term of five years from 1998 and oversaw the birth of the National Assembly of Wales, and helped write the 1993 Welsh Language Act.

He is a Patron of Caernarfon Rugby Club, an Honorary Life Member of Caernarfon Town Football Supporters Club, the Honorary President of GISDA (Gwynedd charity for homeless young people) and the Vice President Caernarfon Male Voice Choir.

He has made a number of pledges, including increasing the visibility of police, being accountable and putting the priorities of taxpayers first.

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